Cormyr

The Forest Kingdom is a rolling, green, and pleasant land, flanked by mountains and well fed by its own farms and ranches. Old, deep, and lush forests dominate the landscape and national character. The dragon, the stag, and the unicorn characterize the land in Cormyrian folk tales, ballads, and heraldry: The wyrm represents the land's old, never-quite-tamed wildness; the stag stands for royal (and noble and wealthy) sport, plus the bounty of the land for all; and the unicorn symbolizes the hidden mysteries and serenity at the heart of the forests—and the shelter those green fastnesses have always offered Cormyrians in peril. Even the nation's kings took advantage of this shelter in the realm's darkest days.

Cormyr, sometimes referred to as the Forest Country, lies between the desert kingdom of Anauroch on the north and the Lake of Dragons (itself referred to as Dragonmere) to the south. It is generally northwest of the Sea of Fallen Stars. The Thunder Peaks form the eastern border of Cormyr and the Stormhorns the west.

Cormyr is a wet, temperate land, receiving abundant rain in summer and spring and plentiful snow in winter; it has long, cold winters and short but hot summers. The gentle spring and fall create rich green forests that yield to splendid autumn colors and healthy fields of grain that surrender up bountiful harvests. Fog is common along the seacoast, and there are often mists on the High Moors, extending into the pass at High Horn and the gorge north of Eveningstar.

Cormyr was once heavily forested, but generations of clearing and farming have reduced the forest to a central region and an eastern portion known as the Hullack Forest. The forests supply the kingdom with ample timber and game, but only through strict regulation by the crown. Monstrous creatures still roam Hullack Forest, and Cormyreans seek timber and game only in its western edge. The denser portions of the forest are still dangerous to all. Surrounding the forests are thousands of farm fields and pastures that

make up Cormyr.

There are several rivers, both large and small, running through Cormyr. The most significant river is the Starwater, which runs from the Stormhorn Mountains south into the Lake of Dragons at Marsember. Starwater runs through Cormyr'’s central forest and is the most heavily used river in the kingdom. Three major roads cross it, and Cormyr'’s second-largest city enjoys the commerce the river fosters.

The two most important bodies of water in Cormyr are the Lake of Dragons (also called the Dragonmere) and Wyvernwater. The Lake of Dragons forms the southern border of Cormyr and offers sea access to Cormyr’'s two largest cities, Suzail and Marsember. The lake is the primary shipping point to the Sea of Fallen Stars, which leads to the rest of the world.

Wyvernwater is an inland lake shaped something like a malformed starfish. Four major rivers - —two of which are the Immerflow and the Wyvernflow - —empty into this lake, and provide access to four major cities, including the trade center of Arabel.

There are two major mountain regions in Cormyr: the Thunder Peaks and the Stormhorns. Both ranges serve as practical borders for Cormyr. The Stormhorns, which run south to north before curving to run west to east, cut off the main body of Cormyr from a territory north of the range known as the Goblin Marches. Though Cormyr claims the Goblin Marches, travel to and from the region is difficult and few Cormyreans live there.

Violent storms sweep the eponymous Stormhorns. There is no sanctuary from the storms, for they occur in any season and can form in moments even in clear weather. Such storms have rolled out of a clear sky, delivered deafening thunder, blinding lightning, and terrible winds, and moved away all in the space of a half-day or less.

Terrible storms likewise besiege Thunder Peaks. Each range has its share of horror stories, with exploring parties being decimated by the ravages of the sky.

Many rumors surround two mysterious places in the Thunder Peaks. The first is the scorched former citadel of the deceased Marchayn of Archendale, known as the Mad Witch of the Thunder Peaks. The other mysterious site is a cave said to be the home of Aubaerus, a follower of Silvanus who, through spending much of his time in the form of a raven (it is said), is known as Ravenmaster.

• Farsea Marshes
• Marsh of Tun
• The Goblin Marches
• The High Moors
• The Helmlands
• Hermit's Wood
• Hullack Forest
• King's Forest
• The Stonelands
• The Vast Swamp

Races and Cultures

Life and Society

Though there are strong reasons why it shouldn't be, Cormyr is a steadfast and prosperous land. Despite an often-violent past, constant armed vigilance against beasts and border perils, and frequent treasonous intrigues, Cormyrians remain loyal, content, prosperous, and peace-loving folk. While the serious reverses of the last two years have shaken the kingdom, Cormyrians expect better days ahead and are willing to work to achieve that goal.

The Obarskyr family rules Cormyr, assisted by wise Royal Mages. The long reign of Azoun IV, aided by former Royal Magician Vangerdahast, gave the realm a legacy of stability and prosperity that's the envy of much of Faerun.

Beneath the royal family is a wealthy, sophisticated, often fractious group of noble families of long lineage, influence, and demonstrated loyalty to the crown. The War Wizards—a force of battle-mages under the command of thoughtful wizards such as Caladnei—temper both royal and noble excesses. As the sage Bradaskras of Suzail put it, the Obarskyrs, the nobility, and the War Wizards "form three legs of a stool on which the common folk sit."

Most Cormyrians are farmers, ranchers, horse-breeders, foresters, or craftsfolk. The country also maintains a large, capable army, the Purple Dragons—not to be confused with Azoun IV, the king who was called the Purple Dragon, or the Purple Dragon Thauglor, long the largest and mightiest wyrm of the Dragon Reach.

Economy

Law and Order

Defense and Warcraft

Religion

History of Cormyr

Main Article: History of Cormyr

In order to understand Cormyr, it is important to understand a bit of its history. It stands as a bit of an anomaly in the Realms as the only human nation to withstand over 1300 years of history with a continuous, unbroken dynasty of rulership, from Ondeth Obarskyr, the leader of the first wave of Impilturan settlers to call the northern shore of the Lake of Dragons home, all the way down to the current ruler, Queen Tanalasta Obarskyr and her heir Azoun V Obarskyr.

Though Cormyr is primarily a human kingdom, however, like many things in Faerun, it all began with Elves and Dragons...

The Forest Kingdom

For hundreds of years before the advent of Dale Reckoning and the arrival of humans in the Central Heartlands, the land that would become Cormyr was called the Forest Country (by the Elves of the Empire of Cormanthyr), and it was firmly under the control of the dragons. Chief among these was Thauglorimorgorus, the Black Doom, a black dragon so old that his scales were fading from ebony to violet, and his eyes from yellow to dusky purple. He held dominion not only over his black brood, but over the wyverns, dragonnes, and even the reds and blues of the mighty Thunderpeaks and the Stormhorns.

In -205 DR, the Year of Good Hunting, Iliphar Nelnueve, called the Lord of the Scepters, came to the Forest Country. He was an great arcanist among elves, and a prince of the Empire of Cormanthyr. He and his kin determined to end the threat of Thauglor's brood to the southern eaves of Cormanthyr by driving them out of the Forest Country. After years of skirmishing with the wyrmkin on the borders of Thauglor's realm, Iliphar challenged the Dragon King to an ancient draconic ritual known as a Feint of Honor. The terms were nonlethal, to the surrender or incapacitation, and the stakes were the title of rulership over all the Forest Country. Against all odds, mighty Thauglor lost the engagement with the elf, and his rule was forfeit. The purple wyrm withdrew, but vowed vengeance against his tormentors. Thus, the Forest Country became the Forest Kingdom, and passed into the hands of the elves.

The Arrival of Men

For several hundred years, the kin and relatives of Iliphar Nelnueve walked the forests of the land bounded by two mountain ranges, working subtle weavings of Art, building towers now long fallen into majestic ruin, and riddling the Forest Kingdom with elven portals to places both far and near.

The solitude of the People was first interrupted in -75 DR by the intrusion of a Netherese wizard named Baerauble Etharr. The wizard Etharr had come in search of magic, but he found nation of elves uninterested in human visitors. He was initially intercepted and imprisoned, but in time, he grew to be accepted by his captors, and even found love with one of their number, and elven woman named Alea Dahast who eventually bore him children. He would become an important bridge between elves and men in the future.

In 6 DR, the first small wave of human settlers finally arrived on the southern coast of the Forest Kingdom. Led by a stalwart frontiersman named Ondeth Obarskyr, the settlers were refugees fleeing from years of civil war in their home nation of Impiltur, far across the Sea of the Fallen Stars. The began construction of a village at the site of their landing near the mouth of the Starwater River on a series of seaside cliffs, lumbering the vast, wild wood to provide for building material and clearing ancient woodland glades for pastureland. The young human realm had no idea that the dark wolf woods they were beating back held the silent Forest Kingdom of Iliphar Nelneuve, but it wasn't long before the elves noticed them. The elven scouts who discovered the human intrusion considered the assault upon the woodlands to be a declaration of war, and they struck back, annihilating outlying farmsteads and attacking the humans from the cover of the forest.

It took all the diplomatic efforts of the Lord of Scepters himself, as well as the levelheaded Ondeth, and the mediation of Baerauble Etharr to avert a war that would have seen the massacre of the human refugees. Instead, a pact was brokered wherein the humans would become a kingdom, and that king would be responsible for the actions of those under his command. The woodlands of the Forest Kingdom would become a sanctuary, preserved in their ancient state, with their elven secrets left untouched and undisturbed. In return, Iliphar would lead his people back to the Empire of Cormanthyr, and the humans of young Cormyr could expand their civilization in peace. Baerauble was left behind, to guide the young dynasty and protect the pact. Though the assent of the elves and the popular acclaim of the humans would have made Ondeth Obarskyr the first king, he deferred in favor of his son, Faerlthann. Thus, upon Ondeth's passing, Faerlthann became Faerlthann "First King" and Baerauble Etharr became the first High Wizard of Cormyr in 26 DR.

To the Present Day

In the last 1300 years, the human nation of Cormyr has seen many years of prosperity and just rulership. It has also seen many years of dark disaster and red war. For nearly four hundred years, the hand of the High Wizard Baerauble guided the rule of both good king and bad, through the painful process of nation building and into the dark madness of the so-called "Thornstrife Wars". Eventually, with his passing he transferred his mantle to his hand picked successor and many times descendant, Amedahast.

Her guidance saw the Obarskyr's acquire both the city states of Marsember and Arabel, and also the formation of the War Wizards of Cormyr, and the thwarting of the first and only attempt by the same organization to seize power for itself. In the tradition set down by Baerauble the Venerable, she passed her mantle to her own many times descendant, Thanderahast.

The tenure of Thanderahast saw the first ventures of Cormyr into the lands surrounding it's mountain borders, venturing out to thwart the ambitions of the greedy Shoon Imperium and taming the thirst for domination in their Sembian neighbors. The sworn vengeance of Thauglor the Purple Doom was finally meted out as the ancient beyond ancient great wyrm unleashed his long simmering fury upon the nation of Cormyr. The Purple Dragon is said to have met his end in 1018 DR with the sacrifice of Thanderahast and under the falling swords of the Army of Suzail. With Thanderahast's death, his apprentice (and descendant) Jorunhast was elevated to the position of Royal Mage of Cormyr.

Jorunhast was to guide the realm of Cormyr for the last three hundred years, through the rebellion and reconquest of Arabel and Marsember, as well as the final conquest of the land of Esparin in the northwest of the land. In the early years of Azoun IV's father Rhigaerd II, the throne had passed unto a regency. His uncle Salember was given the control of the Dragon Throne to hold until his nephew Rhigaerd came into his maturity. When the time came for the lawful transfer of power, however, Salember refused to cede control of the country, instead plunging the nation into civil war. It became known as the Dragon War, as Salember matched his own Red Dragon banner against his nephew's Purple Dragon. In the end, Salember was slain at the hands of Jorunhast himself, the first time in Cormyr's history that one of the Obarskyr's was assaulted by the Royal Mage of Cormyr. Even though he did murder to preserve the stability of the kingdom, he had gone against the greatest of the oaths of the Mage's Royal. He passed his mantle to the shoulders of his chosen apprentice, Vangerdahast, and left the kingdom that he had defended, going into self-imposed exile, whither, none can say.

When Rhigaerd died in 1333 DR, his eldest son Azoun inherited a kingdom still battered from the Dragon War. Many of the noble families of Cormyr had found themselves split between the support of the Red or the Purple Dragon, and it fell to Azoun and Vangerdahast to attempt reconciliation (and at times, retribution).

Cormyr has been growing fast in the last 30 years. In 1352, the upstart would-be King Gondegal is put down in Arabel, and with his demise comes the end of hostile Tilverian resistance. With the assistance of the Worthy Blades chartered adventuring company, the King pacifies the north and formally annexes Tilverton. With Arabel's treasonous High Lord, an ally of Gondegal, executed and retroactively made illegitimate, former Worthy Blades adventurer Myrmeen Lhal is created High Lord of Arabel.

In the years following, the first Cormish fortress in the Stonelands is established by the mercenary Rayanna Rose, who would later become Baroness of the Stonelands for her efforts. The Worthy Blades played a role in this conquest, but ultimately left Cormyr to pursue other matters.

In 1373, Azoun IV died at the age of 66. Thaglorimorgorous, the original Purple Dragon, arose during the Dracorage at the behest of Sammaster, and conducted an all-out assault against Cormyr. Azoun battled the great dragon in the skies over Suzail, and slew the beast while still astride him. The dragon careened into the sea, taking the King with him. When his body was recovered, they found he was unharmed by the collision; some surmise that the two Dragons were linked by ancient magic, and the cost of defeating Cormyr's ultimate nemesis once and for all was his own life.

Tanalasta ascended the throne at the age of 39. Bereaved by the loss of her beloved father, she nevertheless became a strong and dedicated ruler. Now 45, it is feared she is at or beyond the final threshold for childbirth, and she is as yet unwed and without child, much like her sister.

It is rumored that a royal bastard exists, under heavy guard, whose claim to the throne is stronger than any living noble. These rumors are true; the boy is Wilhelm Harrison Grayfall-Dauntinghorn, who will be Azoun V if crowned. He was born in 1372.

His mother, Wilhelmina Grayfall-Dauntinghorn, is also technically in line for the throne, but has categorically rejected all claim to it. She was born in 1351.

Her father, Wilhelm Thomas Dauntinghorn, was born Foril FitzObarskyr by Azoun IV and paramour Filfaeril Salazair in 1332. His young father, a King-in-Waiting, was to be wed to the finest noble ladies in the land, and a bastard did not suit him, so the Mageroyal secreted him away. Through a clever and devious plot involving cooperation between Cormish nobles, Zhentarim agents, and Thayan Red Wizards, the boy was seized in transit and slain.

Obviously, this did not occur, but all involved, even the Mageroyal, were fooled. In reality, the boy was saved by none other than Elminster, perhaps feeling a kinship to the boy due to his ancestorship of Filfaeril. For reasons he never revealed, he secreted the boy away, unbeknownst even to the King and the Mageroyal; a friend of his, Hector Dauntinghorn (64, current Grand Admiral of the High Seas), adopted the boy as his own, as his wife was barren.

Unfortunately, the boy, renamed Wilhelm Thomas Dauntinghorn, was slain, presumably by pirates, during an adventure upon the high seas, in 1366. This seemingly innocuous death was later proven to be a conspiracy by the same Cormaeril traitors who had orchestrated his original, intended death many years earlier, and resulted in the banishment of the Cormaerils and their partner in the crime, the Bleths.

To protect the boy's identity, the full nature of the conspiracy was not revealed; the noble houses were exiled for their role in the "successful" slaying of the boy in 1332, leaving no link to his still-living heir, Wilhelmina. She refused gifts of wealth and power, feeling it would indebt her to serve as an heir-in-waiting or, worse still, a substitute breeder for the next male heir. She retired to her husband's estate in the Helmlands, though on numerous occasions she entertained her birth grandfather the King, who wished to form a closer bond with his estranged family member.

In 1375, Wilhelmina's son Wilhelm Harrison, by Earl Elliot Grayfall of the Northweald, then an infant of 3 years, was taken from her by the decree of the Mageroyal Laspeera. While she had her regrets about alienating the royal family in what had turned out to be Azoun's final years, she was quite shocked and outraged to have her only son taken away. Only the steadfastness of her husband stayed her hand, and to this day she petitions to have her son returned to her care.

As of 1380, the boy is an apprentice assassin, spy, and wizard to Lord Vasilan Nero, privy councilman and perhaps the most powerful wizard ever to practice magic without the blessing of the War Wizards. Unbeknownst to most all in the realm, Lord Nero is none other than Sememmon, Lord of Darkhold and once a Zhentarim lieutenant second only to Manshoon. The story of how he gained such trust among the royal family is a long one indeed; said trust is limited exclusively to Queen Tanalasta, whose sister and Mageroyal endeavor constantly to prove him for the monster he is (or was). They also decry the treatment of the boy, calling for him to be officially recognized, and have this cloak-and-daggery be done with, but that, too, she insists is necessary, echoing the sentiment of Lord Nero.

In 1375, Myrmeen abdicated her rule. She left her affairs well in order, but otherwise made no arrangements or proclamation. She was accused of treason for dereliction of duty, but was cleared in absentia in Tanalasta's court. It is widely believed she was no friend of Alusair, Crown Princess and Oversword of the Northern Marches, and had lost all reason to remain in Cormyr with the passing of Azoun IV and the permanent relocation of her only son Rohan to Damara. She now resides in Myratma, Calimshan.

In her stead, the relatively unknown Sheridan Fairfax-Dauntinghorn was created High Lord, after Wilhelmina once again refused to serve. The transition was not ideal for him, as he was husband to Baroness Rose of the Stonelands, but their marriage has survived and even flourished under their new conditions. Sheridan has served wisely in the years since, and the city prospers, thanks in no small part to the patronage of Damara, under Queen Alexzanka Dragonsbane, whose King Consort Rohan Lhal feels much regard for his former home.

Government

Recent Expansion

Since the War of Fallen Stars, which ended in a stalemate but saw Thay gain the Pirate Isles, Cormyr has become more aggressive in securing power in the Inner Sea. The Queen has become very hawkish on naval matters, ordering the construction of 30 new ships of the line, and investing heavily in expansion around the Dragonmere.

In the last 3 years, Tanalasta's aggressive diplomacy and lavish gifts have earned her great regard in Proskur, and some feel that a full military alliance between the two is in the works. Already, the two powers are working to pacify the Tunlands (though Obviously Cormyr bears the lion's share of that duty), and many feel that the price of this close companionship will ultimately be Suzail's sovereignty over the independent city.

Meanwhile, the War Wizards have been very active in Westgate, snuffing out all that remains of the Fire Knives and the Cormaeril and Bleth traitors. Semmemon has increased their effectiveness in this duty tenfold; the city is almost respectable now, with most of the important nobles on the Queen's payroll. The Queen now entices Cormish nobles to invest in the city, and help project Cormyr's power across the reach.

Cormyr has also cultivated good relations with Mulhorand, Aglarond, and Chondath. They provide naval security for the shipping lanes of those powers, while Thay competes to out-escort them among those who remain, even though most of the pirates are actually just Thayans in disguise. Talk of a full military alliance with Aglarond has not gone unnoticed by the Empress of Thay.

Currently, Cormyr is a member of a mutual defensive alliance with Cormanthyr, Damara, Impiltur, Sembia, Thay, the Silver Marches, Chondath, Tethyr, Iriaebor, and, oddly enough, Netheril, the very threat they had originally allied against. It is thought that, should war break out with the Netherese, their true allies would be Cormanthyr, Damara, Impiltur, and the Silver Marches, while Thay and Sembia would betray them, and the others would not involve themselves in matters beyond their power.

On the economic front, Tanalasta is an unsung genius. Her father, though wise and beloved, was no spendthrift, and faced many very expensive challenges in his reign. His exchequer was kept in the black only by heroic efforts from the Mageroyal.

Conversely, Tanalasta has proven an economic genius, harvesting gold from the waves of the Inner Sea in a time when most though Thay would dominate trade throughout the region. Her aggressive pacification of western trade routes have proven fruitful, with a direct line from Cormyr to the Silver Marches proving almost as valuable as Cormyr's perennial Northern Route, which itself was swelling in profitability due to the growth and pacification of Tilverton and the collapse of the Zhentarimin the early 1370s.

As winter dawns and 1380 approaches, the Queen faces a grave new threat: plague, frost, famine, and death at the hands of the Netherese. However, from her well-stocked granaries to her carefully-placed spies and well-chosen allies, she is more than ready for a fight.

Major Cities

• Suzail
• Marsember
• Arabel
• Tilverton

Smaller Settlements

• Castle Crag
• Castle Kilgrave
• Dhedluk
• Espar
• Eveningstar
• Gray Oaks
• High Horn
• Hilp
• Hultail
• Immersea
• Noktil
• Thunderstone
• Tyrluk
• Waymoot
• Wheloon